When the young Elijah crossed his path, Lunabba went further than what was expected of him as a professional: he took the boy in and tried to give him the attention he was missing at home. But is that actually permitted? Will You Care if I Die?, Lunabba’s extremely personal memoir about friendship and love between damaged people, is also an indictment of all the politicians who leave so many young people in Europe’s cities to their own fate. The book presents a dark image of coming of age in a disadvantaged neighbourhood in Sweden – where it became a massive hit. Lunabba will sit down with the Swedish-Dutch children’s book illustrator and writer Marit Törnqvist, who is famous in part for her work with Astrid Lindgren. Törnqvist and Lunabba know each other well, and together they organised a project with 60 children from the socially disadvantaged neighbourhood of Nydala (Malmö) to write a beautiful illustrated book about the children’s lives. The book is now available in every library in Malmö.
Törnqvist has set up many other idealistic projects involving children’s literature over the past few years. In 2002, she gave the annual Annie M.G. Schmidt lecture, with the title ‘Where is the limit’, on the inhumane treatment of refugees in Sweden (and the rest of Europe) and the importance of representation in children’s books.
Sinan Can will join the conversation. Can spent a year living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods throughout Europe that face the familiar problems of widespread poverty, high unemployment, and gang violence among young people.
The moderator is Hassan Bahara.
Language of communication: English
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